Lows and highs
K.R Wadhwaney
The unfolding of the
recent developments,
incidents, spectators
satisfactory response,
though stadiums are not
fully occupied, umpires
interest and players zest and
enthusiasm prove that the Test
cricket is safe from any financial
'blues', as it was felt sometime ago.
The main stake holders, players,
have started accepting varying types
of pitch conditions—bouncy and
nippy in England, Australia, New
Zealand and spin oriented in subcontinent.
The umpires have
improved their functioning and are
discharging their duties. The covers
are durable and rain does not spoil
the surface. The quantum of draw
has reduced. and this causes
happiness to spectators who are
being provided better facilities even
in sub-continent than before.
The ICC has not done much in
reducing quantum of no-balls. They
go uncalled for and defaulters
escape laid-down penalty. The
adjustment of adding a third umpire
for line judgment will reduce many
evils and the umpires wrong
judgments in lbw decisions will
reduce. At present, slow motion
movements are run and checked
and re-checked before giving the
striker finally dismissed.
It is the time for lows and highs. It
is the period of loss and revival and
hope and despair. The Test cricket in
flannels is safe and throbbing,
thanks to TV channels. Bangladesh,
neglected for about 25 years as a
part of Pakistan, got a new lease of life when it became independent in
1971. It challenged the might of
Australia with clean and straight bat,
fast bowlers seamed the ball,
spinners showed their tricks and
boys fielded enthusiastically.
Watching them play so superbly was
a cause of delight.
There is an athleticism in their
muscles and bones. They defeated
Australia with an excellent team
efforts after having beaten England
last year. They are capable of
causing many more surprises in
near future, may be in 2019 World
Cup.
Steve Smith
Australia's captain Steve Smith
was out of touch as he was fighting a
'civil war' with Australian Board on
the issue of 'salaries'. This was not
the cause of their defeat. Australia have capitulated 16 out of the last
24 Tests in Asia. Indeed weather
could be one factor in Dhaka. The
fact is that Bangladeshis progress is
unbelievable in recent months. The
most of the players are young and
they are on a firm road to manhood
in cricket.
A soft-spoken, gentleman and
sporting, Nathan Lon has found selfbelief
since tour to India early this
year. He has impressed his skipper,
Steve Smith, who has developed
faith in his off-spin bowling. In this
series, he bowled orthodox offspinners,
with a varying spin, He bowled his arm ball much less. He
took career-best 13 wickets for 160,
including six for 60 in second
innings to help his team beat
Bangladesh by 86 runs to level
series 1-1 at Chittangong. This was
the first series between them. Twice
before, the series was cancelled
owing to security reasons.
The West Indies in doldrums for
more than a decade have woken up
in all forms of the game.
They have
got intelligent hitters of a long ball
on ground and among spectators as
they possess natural robust
physique for eating a large quantity
of the animal food. They eat to
obtain strength and not fill
stomachs as Indians do with chat
masala, gole gapa and many other
such things. They have realised the
need of temperament and mind but
their tendency of recklessness stays.
Thy still believe 'to win a Test by a
mile or lose it by a mile'.
James Anderson
After receiving drubbing in the
first Test at Edgbaston, the West
Indies came back to win the second
Test at Headingley with all-round
superb doings beating England
convincingly. Their doings show that
the transition spell is a history. Most
of these players have emerged from
a tiny island, Barbados It was a
conveyer belt of the Windies. Their
turn-around is a solid development.
Test cricket has stabilized.
West Indies lost by a huge margin
of nine wickets to England in the third Test at Lord's but they fought
gallantly. James Anderson sealed the
series 2-1 with an outstanding
swing and seam bowling. His
devastating bowling left England
to get 107 runs for victory.
This was 5th time, he had taken
five or more wickets at Lord's.
Shai Hope was again a scorer of
62 after getting twin hundreds at
Headingley. Henry Blofeld, 75, BBC
commentator, after 45 years service.
Known as 'Blowers' often strayed
from the match to talk about 'earrings'.
England's James Anderson joined
the 500 Test wickets club. He was 6th
bowler to reach this destination. The
35-year-old, the first English man,
received a standing ovation on two
occasions in the third Test at Lord's.
He is second fast bowler to earn
this distinction. He made his Test
debut in 2003.
"Boycott fixation"
Theresa May and husband Phillip watch the cricket at Lords
Theresa May, Britain's Prime
Minister, is one of few genuinely
admirers of cricket and cricketers.
She had spared time from her
usually busy schedule to watch the
third Test between West Indies and
England at Lord's recently.
The lady Prime Minister was all
admiration of
Geoff Boycott
who, according to
her, was 'scourge
of bowlers and
s p e c t a t o r s
around the
world'. The
'Boycott fixation'
is as age-old as
her dour
administration
first as Home
Secretary and
now in Downing
Street.
During this
June election
campaign, the pundits were
critical of her functioning and she
could tell: "It is not cricket".
Accompanied by her cricket-loving
husband, Philip May, she defended
herself in conversation to a BCC's
Jonathan Agnew at Lord's. When
asked, if Boycott 'bore you to tears'
she stoutly replied: "He stayed
there. He stuck there. He had a
plan. He got along with it".
She said that she presented the
dour England opening batsman
with 'brownies'. "I am not sure
whether he utilised them but I can say that 'Boycott has my tupperwear".
Pleased with May's kind words,
Boycott predictedly said: "May will
be like Margaret Thatcher", adding:
She has views and she is firm. Life
is about integrity and principles
with honesty".
Boycott is nothing but a bundle
of controversies. On his
controversial 1981-82 tour, he
caused series of controversies.
The minister at Hyderabad was
very late at the function. When he
was presented a 'flower', he placed
it on his 'fly'. He went unscathed
for his vulgarism. He had two sets
of books. When he was entering,
the receptionist politely asked him:
May I deposit them so that you
are free", he replied: "No, no, I will
not. You will disappear along with my book".
Before the start of Delhi's first
Test, Boycott presented his
biography to then Prime Minister
Indira Gandhi, who had cleared
the tour late. It was alleged that
some members of them were
involved in apartheid.
Boycott did not play
the Calcutta Test.
Instead, he played an
18-hole golf round.
He
disappeared and flew
to South Africa. Even
the English players
were aware of this
coup. They and press
came to know at 2
a.m. English
journalists and
R e u t e r s
correspondent and
other made a beeline
to telegraph
office. All
operators were
asleep. When they eventually woke
up the machines went 'cold'.
English journalists tried telephone
but without luck. After three hours'
nightmare, they gave up and
returned to their guest house.
Only a tiny piece of Reuters
went through. The locals in
England got the news that Boycott
had ditched the team and had
flown to South Africa for the
Apartheid series.
An Indian journalist was
Reuters correspondent. He was
K.R.Wadhwaney.